


Taking Chances

by LadyLilyAnne



Category: Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - Ikemen Paradise | Hana-Kimi (TV), Hanazakari no Kimitachi e | Hana-Kimi & Related Fandoms, Hanazakari no Kimitachi e | Hana-Kimi (Manga), 아름다운 그대에게 | To the Beautiful You
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, Romance, semi-au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-23
Updated: 2016-11-24
Packaged: 2018-04-23 01:57:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4858787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyLilyAnne/pseuds/LadyLilyAnne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After several months of successfully disguising herself as a boy, Jaehee is screwed. Her parents have found out. But something is preventing them from dragging her back to America…</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything apart from the story. The use of these individuals is in no way meant to reflect real life, except in my imagination.
> 
> A/N: This story is based on the Korean drama To The Beautiful You. Please note that the story is mostly true to the show, except for a few things: it takes place before the track meet, and Jaehee was not revealed to Hanna, so the whole Taejoon dating Hanna thing never happened.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaehee's found out and Taejoon reveals that he knew all along...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything apart from the story. The use of these individuals is in no way meant to reflect real life, except in my imagination.
> 
> A/N: This story is based on the Korean drama To The Beautiful You. Please note that the story is mostly true to the show, except for a few things: it takes place before the track meet, and Jaehee was not revealed to Hanna, so the whole Taejoon dating Hanna thing never happened.

“Gu Jaehee, you have been called to the office. Kang Taejoon, you as well,” the teacher called out to the two.

The two roommates looked at each other in confusion. As far as Jaehee knew, she hadn’t done anything to warrant being called to the office, and Taejoon most likely had to meet with his manager. Taejoon however, felt a sense of foreboding creeping up on him. He knew that he had no jobs scheduled for today, and he could think of at least five incidents in the past day alone that could reveal his naïve roommate’s deception. Both teens walked over to the office, both wary of what they were about to face, although unknowing of the other’s caution.

Taking a deep breath, Jaehee mustered up her courage and opened the door, only to have all that courage suddenly vanish at the sight that faced her.

Taejoon, alarmed at Jaehee’s sudden loss of color and almost imperceptible swaying, gently pushed her behind him and faced the people waiting for them, only to be confused as to what had caused such a reaction. It was not until he heard Jaehee whisper “Mom, Dad,” that he understood.

Taejoon paled for a second and just as quickly regained his color. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t expecting something like this to eventually happen, he thought wryly to himself. He was ready for it.

“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Dawson. May I ask what has brought you here?” he asked calmly.

“It seems as if you already know,” her mother replied.

“What? He doesn’t know anything! Please leave him out of this,” Jae Hee pleaded, in fear of both her parents’ reaction and Taejoon’s towards her deception.

“Shall we go to a more secluded area? This place doesn’t guarantee privacy, which is what I suspect you want,” Taejoon offered.

“Yes, thank you,” Jaehee’s stepfather replied.

:::

As Taejoon guided the family to a more private setting, Jaehee’s mother studied him carefully. She wanted to see the reason why her only daughter had chosen to risk and sacrifice so much for this young man. So far, she hadn’t seen anything too impressive; something that could inspire such devotion from her only daughter. But then again, she hadn’t really interacted with him, and teenagers were always difficult to understand. Her thoughts were broken by Taejoon’s sudden stop.

“This is where I go when I need to be alone, and no one has ever found me here. I think this will suitable for our purposes,” Taejoon said.

Looking around, Jaehee’s mother had to agree. A secluded gazebo hidden near the far end of the woods; it was a wonder that he had found it in the first place. Turning her mind away from the beauty of the location, she focused on the reason why they were here in the first place.

“Jaehee, please explain to me why you traveled to South Korea only to masquerade yourself as a boy and enroll in an all-boys school,” her mother demanded.

Wincing, Jaehee sighed and then looked horrified. “Taejoon doesn’t know-”

“…that you’re a girl? I figured it out a month ago, which is why I tried to get you to go back home,” he cut in smoothly.

“B-but… w-what?” Jaehee stuttered.

“Jay, give your answer now or you’ll find yourself facing much more severe consequences once we return home,” her father ordered.

She sighed, knowing that she was trapped. “You know the state that I was in a few years ago,” she began.

Nods of understanding went all around, excluding Taejoon, who was at this point looking confused.

“I was severely depressed, to the point that I had to be hospitalized for it. If they hadn’t caught it in time, I would have most likely committed suicide,” Jaehee expanded for Taejoon, albeit in a rather emotionless voice which contrasted sharply with her usual animated self.

Taejoon nodded in understanding, and then paled as the words fully sank in. “No…”

“What brought me out of my depression was you,” she spoke to him. “What you said when you won all those years ago, they struck me deeply. It made me realize that I was allowing my depression to get the better of me, and that I wasn’t fighting to be happy. It pushed me into fighting to stay happy, and to be who I wanted to be, without being pressured by others.”

At her words, Taejoon couldn’t help but to smile at her. He now fully understood what Jaehee had meant when she had shouted at her brother and pleaded for him to let her stay. In the maelstrom of emotions now sweeping over him, he also felt relief over the fact that she had chosen to live; for he would have never met her if she hadn’t. There was also pride over being the one to help her to fight, although he would have had no idea of how much he had helped her if they had never met.

“What does that have to do with what you’ve done?” Her mother asked softly, now having a better understanding of her daughter’s motives.

Still facing Taejoon, Jaehee continued to speak to him. “You gave me so much, and I wanted to return what you gave me to you. You helped me to want to live and be happy, and I wanted to help you to jump again, and to bring the smile back to your face.” She then turned to her parents and continued. “This was the only way I could think of that would bring me close enough to actually help him.”

“You’re still in trouble. No matter how noble your intentions were, you still acted foolishly. What if another boy figured it out and tried to blackmail you? You could have been attacked!” Her stepfather lectured, and he would have continued if not for the involuntary actions of the two teens.

At his words, Taejoon’s face darkened in rage and curled his hands into a fist. In drastic comparison, Jaehee paled and grasped onto Taejoon’s arm, as if she was unconsciously seeking comfort.

“What happened?” her father asked, barely holding back his fury at the thought of his daughter being violated in such a way. To elicit such a reaction from mere words alone meant something had happened, and he wanted to know who needed to be punished for his actions.

“We were helping out a friend’s mom at her inn, but there were other workers there. One of the workers seemed way too interested in Jaehee, so I kept an eye on her and him. He somehow figured out that she was a girl, and was going to rape her. He managed to sneak away with her, but I managed to find them in time and sent him running before he laid another hand on her,” Taejoon answered, laying a hand across Jaehee’s shoulders and drawing her close, almost as if reassuring himself that she was still there and in one piece. “I didn’t know she was a girl at the time, but after that, I made sure to keep a closer eye on her and helped her out of several more predicaments.”

“Thank you for taking care of her. If she had been hurt without us even knowing what was going on, I would have never forgiven myself,” Jaehee’s mother told Taejoon, spontaneously drawing both teens into a hug.

At her embrace, both teens relaxed, or at least as much as they possibly could under the current circumstances.

“As much as I’d like to continue lecturing you and track down that person who dared to try to lay a hand on you, that is not the reason why we’re here,” her father grumbled.

“What?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This story is meant to be a short one; most likely no more than three or four chapters. Please review and let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaehee's given an opportunity, Taejoon makes a plan, and Jaehee makes a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything apart from the story. The use of these individuals is in no way meant to reflect real life, except in my imagination.
> 
> A/N: Please note that Jaehee is referring to her birth father when she says Papa, and all other father-related terms for her step-father.

“What do you mean?” Jaehee asked in confusion and dawning hope.

“Do you recall taking some sort of logic test before making your plans to come here?” her mother asked.

“Yes, but I thought it was just another part of those stupid standardized tests that we always take. What about it?”

“The government has decided to do a partnership program with other countries. Because you scored so highly on this aptitude test, they chose you as one of the possible candidates for the program. Your placement within the program was guaranteed after realizing you currently hold citizenship in both America and South Korea.”

“But what is this program, and what do I have to do?” Jaehee asked, confused.

“They want to do an exchange program, with at least one student from each country switching places for their education. As it turns out, they chose you to send to South Korea to finish high school and attend university. That test also doubled as a placement test for university, and your scores were good enough to admit you to Seoul National University after you complete high school,” her father continued.

“How is this even possible? It doesn’t even make sense,” Jaehee exclaimed. Taejoon stood momentarily forgotten in the background, bewildered at the exchange between the small family.

“When does the government ever make sense?” her mother replied sardonically. “However, you have the option of refusing it. If you accept it, then you’ll have to remain in Korea for both high school and university, while maintaining your GPA.”

“What happens if I stay?”

“You will be transferred to this school’s sister school, I believe it’s called St. Blossoms High School. We can pass you attending Genie High as a paperwork mishap caused by an overseas miscommunication, but that won’t hold unless you make your decision soon. If you take too long, it will be suspicious.”

Jaehee looked at Taejoon, to see what he thought of it. Too much had been revealed within the past few hours and she needed time to process it.

Taejoon spoke up. “I hate to interrupt, but have you also thought about where she is going to live. St. Blossoms doesn’t have dorms.”  
Jaehee’s mother sighed. “No, that’s another factor we’ll have to think of. Thank you for telling me,” she said, smiling at Taejoon.

“Can I have some time to think about it? There’s just too much to consider,” Jaehee pleaded.

“You have two days,” her father told her. Rising to his feet, he turned to the others. “Let’s go back.”

Upon reaching the office and parting with Jaehee’s parents, Taejoon’s phone rang. Looking at the caller’s name, he felt the glimmerings of an idea come together. Answering the call, he began to speak. “Hello Father, I have something I’d like to discuss with you…”

:::

The air surrounding the room was a confusing mix of tense and awkward, and starting to verge towards comfortable. It was an apt feeling, considering the convoluted relationship that the two men had shared for the past several years. Taejoon cleared his throat and began to speak.

“Father, I know we have had our differences, but I have always respected you and what you have done for me, especially know that I know what had really happened…”

Taejoon’s father chuckled in amusement. “I know you want to ask me for something, so stop trying to butter me up and just ask.”

Taking a breath to solidify his determination, Taejoon plunged forward. “My roommate is a girl,” he said bluntly. Better to get the worst of it out of the way now, he thought to himself.

Arching an eyebrow, his father simply said, “I know. Despite her rather simplistic disguise, I’m not dense enough to not see through it and recognize her as a girl. She’s actually quite noticeably feminine if you pay enough attention.” Spoken in such a matter-of-fact tone, this confirmation threw Taejoon for a loop, leaving him lost as to where to continue from this point on, and embarrassed that he in actuality was not able to see through her disguise by himself.

Realizing that he had rendered his son at a loss of what he wanted to ask him, he quickly prompted him to speak, not wanting to waste any more time on his speechlessness. “What do you want to ask me?”

Realizing that his inability to deal with the shock his father had given him had annoyed him just a bit, he spoke succinctly. “Her parents are having her transfer to Hanna’s school, but there are no dorms so I was wondering if you might be willing to host her. Her parents are of course willing to pay for her room and board.”

“Her parents learned that their daughter transferred into an all-boys school and they’re not removing her from the country?” his father asked, understandably confused at what could be considered quite a mishap in parenting.

“They wanted to, but they can’t. She qualifies for a government partnership exchange program, and they want her to start while she’s in high school. There’s just no way for them to say no since she’s already attending school in the country,” Taejoon hastily explained, not wanting his father to get the wrong idea.

“And you’re asking about the housing for them? Why?” his father asked, knowing the answer, but wanting to hear it confirmed from his own son.

Blushing a rather vibrant shade of red, he mumbled, “I don’t want her to go.”

“Let me speak to her parents before we finalize anything. I’m sure that her parents will at least want to meet the person who will be taking care of their daughter in their own stead.” Seeing Taejoon’s expression of surprise, his father shook his head. “Did you expect me to say no? I owe her greatly after all she has done, for the both of us. Besides, it’s better to learn what she’s like now rather than in the future.”

“What do you mean by that?” Taejoon asked his father, confused by the last statement his father made, although he was also grateful his father agreed with their plan.

“If you don’t know now, you’ll understand in the future. Don’t worry too much about it.” Standing up, his father directed one last question towards his son, marking the end of the meeting between the two. “How do I get into contact with her parents?”

:::

“Mom, I want to stay,” Jaehee told her mother.

Sighing, her mom smiled somewhat sadly. “I thought you might. It’s not just for him that you’re staying for, is it? You’re too young to rearrange your life for just a boy.”

She blushed slightly. “I do want to stay so I can keep supporting him. But it’s not only that, I just feel so much more comfortable here. I’ve made more than one real friend, and I fit in. And staying here, I feel like I’m closer to Papa than I was in America. You know I never really felt comfortable in America, and coming here felt more like I was coming back home.”

The older woman smiled a bit wistfully. “You know, when your Papa died, I really couldn’t stay here for too long because everything reminded me of him. It still does, which is why I moved us to America -to get a fresh start. But that wasn’t really fair for you, was it?”

“No Mom, it’s not your fault,” Jaehee rushed to reassure her. “I’m glad we did, because we met Dad and Daniel-oppa. Moving to America was something that was necessary for the both of us. I needed to start over too. I just happen to prefer South Korea more than America. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Well then,” her mother said, somewhat reassured by Jaehee’s explanation. “Let’s go plan this out with your dad. And don’t think that you’re getting out of punishment for your little trick; you have no idea how worried we were. I’m just glad your roommate looked out for you so much…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Please review and let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaehee is blown out of the water, and Taejoon and Jaehee resolve tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything apart from the story. The use of these individuals is in no way meant to reflect real life, except in my imagination.

“Class, I’m sorry to tell you all that one of our own will be leaving us this week. Goo Jaehee will be transferring out of the school at the end of the week. His time with us was short, but memorable. Please address all questions to him after class…”

Jaehee sighed. Now she was going to be harassed by the others until she transferred. And she couldn’t tell anyone the truth until the day she left so she could minimize any of the possible complications that could arise once her friends and other classmates realized that they had been living with a girl all this time. Glancing over at Taejoon, she was surprised to see him looking at her in concern. Quickly flashing him a quick smile to reassure him that she was fine, she sank back into her thoughts, just barely paying attention to her teacher’s lesson…

:::

_After his confession of knowing that she was a girl, their relationship had changed yet again, with an awkward yet tense air between the two. That is, until Jaehee decided to confront him about it._

_“So you knew all this time…”_

_“Well, you were yelling in our dorm room. Although, I have to admit, hearing your brother shout that you were a girl was quite a way to find out. I just thought you were weird before, learning you were a girl made so much more sense,” Taejoon teased gently, attempting to lighten up the atmosphere._

_“Y-you… you’re so mean,” she pouted, shocked out of her angry confusion by the sudden understanding of what he was doing._

_“I have the right to be, after all the messes I dragged you out of, and that’s including before I knew you were a girl,” he said, suddenly switching to semi-serious mode._

_“I never thanked you for all of that, did I?” she mused, almost as if speaking to herself. Rising, she shocked Taejoon by sinking into a low bow. “I am sincerely grateful for all that you have done for me. I know that learning the truth must have been quite a shock and could have been seen as a betrayal, but you still went on protecting me. I owe you so much for what you have done for me before I met you and afterwards, and my thanks is the least of what I owe you.”_

_“You idiot,” he said, pulling her upright. “I wouldn’t have helped you if I didn’t want to. I never thought of it as a betrayal, instead it was more of an eye-opener of the lengths that you went to help me. And you owe me nothing. I might have unknowingly saved you when you were younger with my words, but if it wasn’t for you, I would still be stuck being unable to jump properly. And about half of the situations you got into were because you were trying to help me out.” He smiled wryly at that. “I think at this point we can call it even.”_

_“If you say so,” she said, blushing slightly. She might have become slightly immune to his unconscious charm, but he was still the person she was in love with. The close proximity and his transparent sincerity was getting to her!_

_“That reminds me, have you decided yet? Whether or not to stay?” Taejoon asked suddenly._

_“I’m staying. I hope you don’t mind?” she asked, insecure about his feelings towards her decision._

_“I’m glad,” he said, secretly relieved. “Just make sure to stay in contact. It’s a good thing you’ll be living at my house. I can check up on you more easily. Knowing you, you’ll probably get into some sort of trouble at least once a week and need me to bail you out.”_

_“You’re evil,” she complained half-heartedly. “Why am I only now just learning this?”_

_“Because we have no more secrets,” he said simply, a wealth of meaning in those few words._

:::

Jaehee found herself almost tearing up again at the memory, and the realization of how close she gotten to her hero. Because despite knowing just how human and flawed he was, he remained her hero. Learning who he really was as a person just reinforced her admiration and strengthened it. She just also had the benefit of being his friend.

Startled out of her reminiscence and musings, Jaehee was surprised to find both herself and Taejoon being called to the office once again. _What is it this time? It can’t be anything too bad,_ she thought optimistically, not noticing the slight smirk playing about Taejoon’s face.

Taejoon, in contrast to Jaehee’s confusion, knew exactly what was going to happen next, and was really looking forward to it. _Looks like those pictures_ he _left behind are coming in handy._

Walking into the office, Jaehee was surprised to find Taejoon’s manager waiting for them. Seeing the two of them, she spoke quickly. “Excellent, you’re both here. I need to talk with both of you, but first, Taejoon, take us somewhere private.”

Once again, he led the way to his private gazebo, this time anticipating the upcoming meeting rather than dreading it. Upon arrival, Director Jang wasted no time on appreciation for the scenery and went straight to the point. Turning directly towards Jaehee, she then proceeded to speak and shock the girl out of her mind while Taejoon sat back and watched in glee.

“You’re a girl that’s been masquerading as boy for the past few months. I can see it, now that I’m paying attention. You’re actually rather pretty once you grow out your hair, that’s good.”

“I’m sorry, Director Jang, but what do you have to do with me? I have no business with you,” Jaehee spoke, at this point even more confused than she was before.

“You are a girl that is rather close to my client. Of course I have business with you, especially since I should have been able to recognize you as a girl. That was a failing on my part. Luckily for the both of us, your track records will help me to solve this problem you’ve caused.”

“Excuse me,” Jaehee said, somewhat offended at the woman’s words.

The manager sighed and proceeded to break down her explanation even more for the clueless girl. “You as a girl managed to invade the privacy of an international celebrity in an area where he should not have been able to meet a girl unless it was under supervised circumstances. You will be living in his childhood home in a few days. Now I have to explain his connection to a girl that was previously unknown to the public and explain it away before the sasaengs get the both of you. I also need to tighten security around him. Luckily for the both of you, you Gu Jaehee have an impressive track record.”

“I do?” she asked somewhat doubtfully. She still felt shame for not realizing what she had inadvertently done, and she was most definitely scared of the sasaengs. Despite that, she was still confused as to how her running would be helpful. “I’ve never won once since arriving at Genie High.”

“I would be surprised if you did, after all, you are competing against boys. However, each time, you placed relatively high amongst your male peers, and the times that have been recorded are actually pretty good. Your times are comparable to females on the national team in your age bracket. You would have to train a lot, but you technically already qualify for the national team as it is.”

“And how does that help us?” she asked, unsure of where Director Jang was taking the conversation, but pleasantly surprised about the revelation about her track ability.

“We can pass off your connection to Taejoon as meeting him while training for joining the national team. And your living in his home while attending St. Blossoms starting next week solidifies your friendship with Taejoon and his family without too much suspicion. It’ll just be a byproduct of track abilities making you friends. You will of course become one of my new clients. That pretty face, your track abilities, and your academic intelligence are an excellent package, and I already know that you’re photogenic.”

“Wait, what?” Jaehee spluttered.

“I am taking you as a new client to make sure you are brought to your full potential. Your parents already signed a contract, with the stipulation that you don’t do as many CFs as Taejoon does and your education is disturbed as little as possible. You will of course be expected to maintain your current standard grade-wise. I do believe that is all. If you have any further questions, this is my number, and you have Taejoon on hand to answer any pressing ones. I’ll see the two of you soon, I believe that I have a suitable project in mind that will be perfect for the both of you… hair extensions will be needed of course…” Musing about how many future projects that they could do together, Director Jang walked off, Leaving Jaehee stunned speechless and Taejoon amused at his current roomate’s state.

“W-what was that?” She finally made out.

“That, my dear, was the force of nature that is now your manager.” He informed her, chuckling at her expression. “You ought to get used to it; that is pretty much her standard mode of operation when it comes to her clients. She actually went a little easy on you, considering that this was your first official meeting. She’s actually a bit grateful to you for showing her such big gaps in her security.”

“How? I doubt anyone else would be as reckless as I was, and I lucked out since I was coming from another country.”

“It’s still a pretty big hole in my security, and it’ll be tightened up immediately. You really shouldn’t have been able to get through my security, and Director Jang will be taking it as a personal offense until it gets fixed.” Seeing the sudden expression of trepidation on her face, he instantly sought to reassure her. “Don’t worry, she’s not mad at you, she’s actually a little admiring of your guts in doing this. And she’ll be able to yell to heart’s delight at the security that failed to notice you were a girl and didn’t take action. Now let’s go, I heard that dinner today will actually be good, and the bell’s just rung. Let’s go beat the horde before they eat everything.”

Grabbing her by the hand, the two began running in the direction towards the dining hall. _I’ll miss being this close to her,_ Taejoon thought to himself. _But now, we can have a fresh start and be normal. Or as normal as two celebrities can be in high school, since I have no doubt that she will become just as famous as I am now._

:::

“Are you all packed?” Taejoon asked quietly.

“Yes, I just need to take it all down to the car. Will you help me?”

“Of course,” he told her. “Besides, I’m going with you since you’re moving into my house. I need to help my father finish moving things around. So we have another weekend together before things change. I just hope you can cook; Director Jang is the one who made sure we weren’t living on take-out these past few years.”

Jaehee gaped at this new bit of information before sighing and adopting a look of determination. “Good thing for the both of you that I can cook, isn’t it? And my mom made sure I knew how to cook Korean food too, so there won’t be any problems there. I just hope you don’t expect anything too much this weekend. Director Jang is hijacking me for the majority of it; she said something along the lines of feminizing me properly.” She shuddered in mock fear.

“What’s she planning to do, shopping? There’s not much else she can do,” Taejoon wondered, honestly curious about the manager’s plans. He was also a bit annoyed, having wanted to spend as much time as possible with her before they separated at the end of the weekend.

“It’s called extensions Taejoon; I’ll have them until my hair grows to a decent length. That’ll take a while at the hair salon, and my clothes were shipped from America by my brother. They should be arriving at your house this weekend. But that’s pretty much the extent of our plans, so you don’t have to worry about being dragged along to be the bag carrier,” she teased gently.

Taejoon blanched at that, remembering horrific instances where Hanna had done exactly that. He hastily began to search for something else to talk about, wanting to prevent any future shopping trips that would include him. Jaehee might be different from most girls he knew, but she definitely had a weakness for shopping. He had seen the tragic state of Eungyul a while ago after going out with Jaehee, and he wanted to prevent that from happening to him for as long as possible. So yes, a rapid subject change was in order. Remembering Eungyul brought an idea to mind. “So, did you tell our friends yet?”

“They know that I’m leaving Genie High because my parents requested it, but they still don’t know I’m a girl.” She began to frown. “I’m planning on telling them right before I go, so they have time to process it and decide whether or not they still want to be friends with me. I made sure they all have my phone number and they still have you here if they have any questions or want to contact me. It might be a bit selfish, but I wanted them to be normal around me during this last week, and knowing the truth would have changed that.”

“It is, just a bit, but I think you’re entitled to bit of selfishness in this case. Thanks for letting me know ahead of time so I can prepare for the horde. Or we can always play a bit of a prank on them,” he suggested, feeling the glimmerings of mischief within him.

“Oh?” she asked him, intrigued by what she could now recognize as his rare prankster side. “What do you have in mind?”

And so the two spent their last evening together at Genie High with their heads bent together, crafting a prank that would leave their friends utterly speechless…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The he that Taejoon is talking about when mentioning the pictures if John Kim, Jaehee’s photographer friend, if you didn’t get it. 
> 
> Also, a quick explanation of sasaengs for those who don’t know. Sasaengs are basically stalker-fans. In South Korea, they follow their favorite idols around, try to break into their houses, get as close to them as possible, and are basically very scary. They may also attack people they don’t like getting close to their favorite celebrity, so Jaehee is right to be afraid. One of the clearest examples of sasaengs would be the ones that follow DBSK/TVXQ/JYJ around. 
> 
> Please comment and let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things come to a close...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything apart from the story. The use of these individuals is in no way meant to reflect real life, except in my imagination.

**Six Months Later**

“Come on Taejoon, you can’t skeeve out of this festival,” Eungyul called out, dragging his ever elusive friend out of hiding.

“We already had a festival this year, why are we having another one?” Taejoon half-complained, already exhausted by the number of fan girls that had already come after him today. Although what he was asking was a valid question.

“It’s yours and Hyunjae’s fault for getting tied at first place at the national competition a few months ago. The school uses every excuse to celebrate and you know that,” Eungyul scolded.

“Excuse me, it’s not just us; they’re celebrating your entrance onto the national team too,” Taejoon shot back. “It’s honoring all of us, so why are we actually working? The fan girls are bad enough as it is, now they can actually reach us.”

“Just wait until tonight,” Eungyul coaxed him. “The girls will be coming, that means Jaehee too.”

“And your girlfriend right,” Taejoon teased. “I heard you two got back together.”

Eungyul blushed. “So?” he blustered. “Aren’t you dating Jaehee?”

Taejoon’s mood suddenly darkened. “That’s right, which is why I’m trying to hide from the fan girls, since they keep on mauling me the second they lay their eyes on me. Why aren’t you complaining about it?”

“Well, they’re only going after you. Hyunjae and I are relatively new to them, so they’re not sure what to make of us. You’ve been a celebrity for way too long.” Seeing his expression darken, Eungyul hastily added, “Only a few more hours before the private after party, now let’s get to work.”

:::

Jaehee shifted uncomfortably at the front gates of the school, still hesitant to take that last step. Yes, her friends had accepted the truth after a bit of shock and betrayal, but she actually hadn’t seen them since she left. Talking on the phone was fine, but they hadn’t actually seen her yet as a girl and accepted it. The short burgundy and black brocade dress she was wearing would definitely hit them in face that she was actually a girl, as would the shoulder length hair, which she had grown out since leaving Genie High. Only Taejoon had seen her dressed properly as a girl so far, but she was living in his house; he just made a lot more visits home than he did before. Not to mention the number of CFs and photo shoots they did together; they were just waiting to release them all at once this week to bring her firmly into the celebrity fold. But still, she was nervous.

“Who are you waiting for?” A low voice questioned from behind her.

Almost jumping from fright, Jaehee turned around. “Taejoon, you scared me! What are you doing here?” She scolded.

“Well, I was wondering why I got a text fifteen minutes ago saying you were at the gates, but I still didn’t see you at the party, so I figured you were still here. Do you really think that any of them would suddenly hate you after all this time if they were to finally see you as a girl?”

She laughed softly. “You’re right, I was just being stupid. After all, Eungyul accepted me, and the others already saw me as a girl during the Miss Genie contest.”

“You do realize how much ammunition that gives them, right?” Taejoon reminded her. “Being the only actual girl in the contest and yet not winning because you weren’t feminine enough; I almost died laughing when I heard you say that, the others will be worse once they remember. As for Eungyul, he thought he was gay because he fell in love with you. Of course he had accepted that you were a girl so quickly; he was relieved that he was straight all along. Accepting you were a girl let him move on from his crush on you, and he could get back together with his girlfriend, since they really only broke up because he wasn’t sure about his feelings for you.”

“You’re still jealous about Eungyul, aren’t you?” she asked disbelievingly. She sighed in exasperation. “Haven’t you realized by now, you’re the only one I love. Eungyul and Junghoon may have had feelings for me, but all this time, I’ve only had eyes for you. It was for you that I risked so much to meet; it was for you that I came halfway across the world. It’s always been only you.”

At that passionate declaration of love, Taejoon couldn’t help but grab Jaehee and express all of the feelings he had swelling inside him with a kiss. Wanting this moment to last forever, he held on for as long he could, only breaking apart from her lips when the need for oxygen outweighed his need to physically demonstrate how much he loved her. “When I was struggling to decide what to do, you were the only person stubborn enough to try to break my walls. And each time you came back to try again, I couldn’t help but to let you in a bit and gradually fall in love with you.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Eungyul cut in nervously, “but the others sent to see what’s the holdup.”

Jaehee sent a venomous glare towards Eungyul, all positive feelings towards seeing him again dying a sudden death. “I’ll be talking with your girlfriend, Eungyul. Nice way to meet you again in a long time, isn’t it?” Stalking off in the direction of the party, she left behind a quickly paling Eungyul and a conflicted Taejoon.

“Please tell me I’ll live, Taejoon,” he begged.

Caught between fury at the interruption and amusement at Eungyul’s predicament, amusement swiftly won at the other’s expression. “Well, I’ll be sure to give a good speech at your funeral,” he joked, heading after his girlfriend.

“Wait, Taejoon, stop joking! This is serious…” Eungyul quickly ran after the other teen on seeing him leave him alone at the gates, still pleading for Taejoon’s help…

:::

Jaehee took a quick breath, wanting to brace herself before seeing her friends again. _At least this time, my hair is real,_ she thought wryly, touching the shoulder-length strands.

“Hey, I’ll be right behind you if you need any help, so just take that last step. They’ve been waiting to see you again,” Taejoon whispered as he slipped his hand into hers.

She smiled brightly at him and said, “Right,” as the two walked into the pool area.

“Hey, Taejoon, who’s the pretty girl on your arm? Anyone we want to meet?” Seungri called out, noticing the two.

Jaehee smiled at that. That was the perfect moment to announce herself as far as she was concerned. “Well, it’s not so much a matter of meeting but rather a reunion,” She let out in a familiar voice, causing all of her friends to turn around and do a double take and recognize her. “Hello guys, it’s been a while…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the delay, I just had to change some things around before posting this. Please note that this is the final chapter, but there will be additional scenes added in the form of additional chapters. I take requests, so if you would like to see something, please let me know. Thanks for reading!


	5. Outtake One: First Date - Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taejoon sticks his foot in his mouth...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the delay! This is for quicksilver18, who requested a date scene. I decided to write about their first official date in this story. Unfortunately, it was beginning to get too long for a chapter, so I decided to split it up into parts. This is the first. Enjoy!

Tapping his foot impatiently, Taejoon stood by the gates of St. Blossoms, anxiously scanning the students for Jaehee’s face. It had been weeks since he had last seen her, and he was missing her desperately. Luckily, the fact that she lived in his house made it easier to see her; all he had to do was say that he was going to see his father, and they would accept that more easily. But for now, he really just wanted to spend time with her alone.

Tugging at the hat that was disguising his face, he glanced around once more and sighed. He had completely rearranged his practice schedule and sacrificed a few precious hours of sleep in order to get the weekend off, and he really didn’t want to spend a large percentage of his free time on an a Friday afternoon waiting for her in the cold. Shifting around in his spot in a pathetic attempt to warm up, he missed the petite missile that rammed into him, forcing him back a few steps.

“I’m so sorry! Did I hurt you?” A familiar voice frantically questioned.

Taejoon stood there stunned, not expecting to have the girl he was waiting for to find him first, although she apparently hadn’t recognized him yet. The girl looked up, still rattling off apologies and queries of concern, before stopping abruptly. “Taejoon?” She whispered disbelievingly.

“Hey, long time no see,” he said sheepishly.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” she hissed furiously, frantically glancing around. “You could have been recognized!”

“I wanted to see you,” he replied, slightly indignant. “Besides, if I had been recognized, I would have been swamped with fans by now. And anyways, Hanna’s actions back when she was crazy about me made this school a slightly safe place for me to come rarely.”

_Translation: She went so crazy that the other girls are too scared to even think about him positively, let alone come near him in fear of her wrath._ Jaehee sighed, and began dragging a pouting Taejoon away from the school. “Let’s not test fate right now. You can tell me what you wanted to say once we get home, okay?” _When did he become so childish?_

Appeased with her for now, he quickly strode forward and laced his fingers with hers. “Come on then, we should hurry.” He paused to flash a brilliant smile at her, and continued walking, this time at the same pace as her.

Dazed by the effect of his smile on her, she didn’t protest.

:::

“So, Taejoon,” Jaehee questioned, having recovered her wits upon returning to a safe place, “Why did you risk exposure by coming to see me at school?”

“I missed you…” He told her sincerely, struggling to find the words to express the entirety of the sentiment behind those three simple words. Forming an adequate explanation as to what he was feeling, Taejoon gazed directly at her, in order to convey how utterly truthful he was being at this point. “For several months, we spent near every single moment together, even if we weren’t alone. After spending so much time with you, and then having to separate and rarely see each other, how can I not want to see you, especially with how much I care for you?”

Stunned at the sudden outpouring of emotion, Jaehee scrambled to refocus her thoughts onto the current situation, and quickly pointed out quite a few holes in his explanation. “That was meant to distract me, wasn’t it? As sweet as the sentiment is, I am residing in your childhood home. You can visit me as often as you like, and possibly even more under the pretenses of visiting your father. Not only that, but we’re going to working together in a while, so we’ll be able to see each other quite often there.” A smirk popped onto her face; wanting to shock Taejoon, she continued. “You see me way too often to sincerely miss me, and as romantic as the thought of you missing me the second we part from each other is, in actuality the idea is also very scary. Are you beginning to develop codependency issues focused on me?”

The track star sputtered in a mix of outrage and embarrassment. “No!” he exclaimed. “I just wanted to take you out on a date, so we could get to know each other better, and this time not under false pretenses!”

“Oh,” she responded blankly, not exactly sure what to say to this. “When do you want to go on this date?”

“In an hour,” he admitted sheepishly. “I already made reservations.”

The girl stared at the other silently for several minutes; her unusually emotionless face causing no small amount of squirming to go on inside Taejoon’s head.

“So,” she began, trying to hold back her rather righteous fury. “You came all the way to my high school –an all-girls school at that- under a rather paltry disguise on a mere whim to take me out on a date. Not only that, you completely disregarded my possible refusal because you already made reservations before even thinking about asking me out. You didn’t even ask, you just told me that we’re going out. What would you have done if I had plans? What if I just didn’t want to go out with you?”

“Uh, I-I,” Taejoon began to stutter, confused and admittedly quite scared at the sudden personality switch of the girl he had lived with for quite a while. _Women are scary,_ he thought to himself. Pulling himself together, he decided the best thing to do was to immediately beg for her forgiveness. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that you felt so strongly about this. I know I shouldn’t have sprung this on you quite so suddenly, but I just missed you greatly, and I wanted to spend some time with you, and only you. If I had known, I would have been much more careful.”

Somewhat mollified by his apology, Jaehee calmed down. “An hour, you said?” she asked. “You are so lucky I’m not a normal girl, or there would have been even more problems. An hour isn’t nearly enough time to properly get ready for a date for a regular girl. Just give me a half-hour and I should be ready.  But next time you won't be so lucky. Anyways, you should take this time to get ready too, or do you just want me to be the only one dressed up?”

Teasing Taejoon with her parting words, she went upstairs to change, leaving a blushing and oddly relieved Taejoon behind, scrambling to change into something suitable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next part should be up soon. Please let me know what you think!


	6. First Date - Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date finally occurs...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the final part of quicksilver18’s date request. I hope you enjoy it!

Forcibly reminding himself to act normal, Taejoon forced his mouth shut, having dropped his jaw upon seeing Jaehee exit her room. Looking stunning in a crimson lace A-line dress, Taejoon was quite startlingly reminded that she no longer had to act as a boy, and was in actuality a girl. He had known this intellectually, but seeing her dolled up like this just vividly hammered the point home.

“So, where are we going?” she asked lightly, now feeling only excitement towards what could be considered their first official date.

“You’ll find out when we get there. Now let’s go, Dad said I could borrow the car for tonight,” he replied, wanting to surprise her.

Opening the door for her, he entered the driver’s seat and made a silent prayer that he wouldn’t crash before starting the car. Jae smiled slightly, somehow knowing what he was doing. Staying quiet so she wouldn’t distract him from driving, she patiently waited to see where they would go.

“We’re here,” he told her, pulling the car into the restaurant’s parking lot.

She gasped quietly in surprise. “This is- isn’t this place extremely exclusive? You have to be invited first in order to even think about making a reservation. How did you manage?”

He chuckled slightly, amused at her astonishment. “I pulled a few favors, but it was mostly because of my reputation. The best part is the entire place is extremely private, so there won’t be any rumors escaping about this. Well then, shall we enter?”

Going through the entrance, they were immediately met by the maître d’hôtel, who personally escorted them to their reserved table. The two remained silent out of awe, examining the elegance and rather subtle tones of class that the restaurant seemed to exude. 

Pulling out her chair, Taejoon waited until she was seated before moving to seat himself. The menus were already in place, and the two spent some time before finally deciding on ordering. Taejoon decided to order a steak while Jaehee got pasta, knowing that they would probably end up sharing their selections with each other. While waiting to be served, the two decided to catch up with each other’s lives.

“Did you hear? Eungyul got back together with the girl who came to our festival, Dahee, I think it was.”

“Really? That’s great! I was worried about him when they broke up, since it seemed as if he cared about her too much. Do you know why they broke up in the first place?” Jahee asked, feeling sincerely pleased for their friend.

“No, I’m not sure, and he really didn’t tell anyone why. He just wanted to keep it private,” Taejoon lied, desperate to change the subject. _How am I supposed to tell you that they broke up because he was in love with you more than he was with his girlfriend! And how didn’t you know that? Everyone else did!_

“Oh,” she responded, somewhat disappointed. She had been especially concerned with how sad he had been when the two broke up, and was curious as to the circumstances behind. “Well, as long as they’re happy.”

Their conversation was briefly interrupted as the waiter set down their plates, but quickly resumed upon his exit; the two being wary of speaking of their personal lives in front of a stranger, no matter how strictly the restaurant kept the confidentiality clauses the restaurant had in their employee contract. Upon his exit, the two resumed their conversation, this time with Jaehee providing the topic.

“Have you seen Hanna recently? She’s been acting kind of strange,” she asked, having a feeling that she knew what was up with the girl but wanting more info before deciding on its certainty.

The athlete sighed. He might think that the gymnast was certifiably insane, but he did care for her like a little sister. “A few times, but it’s rather strange. She barely talks to me anymore, but she spends ages at our dorm.”

The girl smiled in elation. That piece of information had confirmed her suspicions, and she feeling rather happy and relieved at the same time. “Congratulations, Taejoon! You no longer have a stalker.”

“What?” Feeling rather bewildered at what seemed to be a somewhat irrelevant comment, he couldn’t help but to want to know where that comment came from. “Just how did you come to that conclusion?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Seeing the other’s rather blank face, she heaved a sigh of exasperation and decided to help him understand by elaborating further. “She gave up on you. Didn’t you tell her that you saw her as a sister before? In the process of moving on, she probably met someone at the dorm that she likes now, and she’s using visiting you as an excuse to see that person. Based on how she acted towards our dorm mates when she came for the festival, it’s most likely Seungri sunbae.”

Taejoon’s mouth gaped open, shocked at what seemed to be an earth-shattering revelation to him. “W-what?” He croaked out, not wanting to picture his upperclassman with someone he considered a little sister.

Jaehee just laughed. “Calm down, and leave them be. It’s their lives, and shouldn’t you be happy that Hanna is crazily going after you anymore? It’s made both of our lives far easier.”

He pouted, only partially serious. “I guess, but still. Did you have to tell me? I would have been perfectly happy living in ignorant bliss. Now I have to go threaten to kill him if he hurts her.”

“If you want to, go ahead. That’s your decision. But that’s enough about them. What have you been doing since I transferred?”

Extremely glad to change the subject, he was quick to respond. “Not much. I’ve been practicing a lot, and I managed to go up half a centimeter. Hyunjae’s been practicing to and he’s almost caught up to me. I’ve also been doing a few advertisements for Director Jang. What about you?”

“It’s very different,” she admitted softly. “I like your dad, but it isn’t the same as it was before. I’ve made some friends, but it’s different. I was much closer to everyone at Genie, even Jongmin, and we all know how much he liked me. I was never much of a girly girl like the others, and going to St. Blossoms proves it. I hang out with Hanna a lot. She may not like me much for ‘taking’ you away from her, but we understand each other better than anyone else at the school ever could.”

“I wish that I could help you,” he told her, feeling distressed at what she was going through. “I wish you didn’t have to leave.”

She smiled slightly at him. “It’s alright, Taejoon. This is something that will take time to change, and I’m willing to wait. Besides, I knew from the very beginning that going to Genie would never be permanent. It’s better that it happened this way. At least I can see you every so often. If I had been exposed in any other way, I would not have been able to enter this country again until I became an adult. Besides, not everything is depressing in my life.” Pausing until the waiter took away their finished meals and brought them their dessert, she continued. “I do have some happy moments you know, like the work I have been doing with Director Jang. I started on some CFs, and they’re coming out well. They’re going to be released next month to introduce me to everyone, and I think after that, we get to work together in in a CF. I’ve also joined the school track team and started practicing, and I’m already in the upper ranks of the team in terms of speed. They’re considering about letting me enter the qualifiers for the national team in a few months.”

“I’m happy for you,” he sincerely told her. “I just hope you don’t get too busy and forget about us.”

“As if I ever would,” she scoffed. “You guys changed my life, as you very well know, and I could never possibly forget about that. And I’m going to be working with you for quite a while. It’s hard to forget someone you see often.”

“Well then, I look forward to working with you, hoobae,” Taejoon teased. Looking at his watch, he suddenly sighed in disappointment. “It looks like it’s time to get back. My father will be waiting for us.”

Feeling a little melancholy, Jaehee agreed. After a brief but silent argument over the check- Taejoon won-, the two headed back to the car. The drive home was filled with a comfortable silence, neither teenager feeling the need to fill the air with pointless chatter –after all, they had already said everything they felt needed to be said.

Taejoon quietly followed Jaehee to the front door and escorted her to her bedroom door, both only pausing to say hello to his father. “Well, I guess this is the end of our date. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“I would hope so. I’m making breakfast, so make sure you wake up early. And is there no goodnight kiss?” she asked, feeling a little daring with her request.

Looking shocked for a second at her query, he suddenly smirked. Bending down slightly, he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss, one that was quite chaste but was clearly hinting at promises of more. “Goodnight,” he whispered huskily, and quickly headed off to his room, not wanting to test his restraint any further.

Shaken, Jaehee quickly entered her room and leaned against the door. Pressing her fingers against her lips, she gave a slow smile to no one in particular. _Perhaps things really will work out…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think!


	7. Outtake Two: Reunion - Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A reunion between Jaehee and the boys of Genie High

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the absurd delay! No excuses, but this outtake was impossibly hard to get inspiration for, and real life suddenly got a lot busier after the last update, including broken computers and lost segments of the chapter. Please note that the main story is done, and I am only uploading outtakes/extra scenes as I gain inspiration for them. This story will be marked complete, but I am working on the final outtake requested. Hopefully that will be up by Christmas, but I make no guarantees. This is Part 1 of a request by MyLuckTookAWalk to see Jaehee’s reunion with the boys. Enjoy!

“Hello boys, it’s been a while…”

Stunned speechless at the sight before them, the boys took a few minutes to recollect themselves. The sight before them was rather jarring; they had known Jaehee made a beautiful girl – the Miss Genie High contest proved that -but it was the first time that they had seen her completely as herself, without any pretense, no matter how flimsy. With her hair cascading into shoulder-length curls and a stunning burgundy dress, they could tell that she was a girl, no pretense needed. They were suddenly quite glad that they had moved into a rather secluded clearing, where they could interact in privacy with no interruptions from outsiders. The other girls had left, not wanting to disturb their reunion because of their presence.

Jongmin was the first to recover, flashes of vindication running through him as he took in the sight. “Well, not much has changed, I see. You still look like a boy; I’m not surprised anymore that you managed to convincingly disguise yourself as one.”

The others’ mouth gaped open, barely recovered from the previous shock only to be blindsided by another. Jaehee merely laughed, completely understanding the underlying message beneath the seemingly cruel words the boy had just spouted.  “It’s nice to see you too, Jongmin. You’re looking well.” In some ways, Jaehee mused to herself, handling Jongmin was in no way different from dealing with some of the catty girls she talked to at school; most every insult contained a sort of compliment. She knew that Jongmin was glad to see that she hadn’t changed too much from how they had seen her.

At this point in time, the others were beginning to finally catch up with the situation, as it was much like it had been before Jaehee had transferred, with Jongmin flinging out barbs and Jaehee unfailingly disarming him with cheer. It was just weird seeing her in a dress and heels.

Hyunjae let out a laugh, drawing the attention of the others in the group. “Now I know why you were able to braid Hyunji’s hair so well that time she came over. Her precious Jaehee-oppa is actually her Jaehee-unnie.”

At that, her face brightened. “How is she? I missed her. Make sure she knows where I am, and I’ll spend a day with her. Hanna can go too, she likes kids.”

The boys (not including Eungyul and Taejoon) all sighed in exasperation. That was Jaehee for you, completely ignoring the tension and focusing on irrelevant topics. Then they caught onto her last statement.

“Hanna?!” They shouted in disbelief. The girl who declared herself the ‘Nation’s Fairy’, who spent so long obsessed with Kang Taejoon, and avoided children like her life depended on it liked little kids?

“What about her?” The only girl asked, honestly confused as to why they were shouting the other girl’s name.

Seungri, spoke up, coming to the defense of his girlfriend. “They just don’t believe that she likes kids, that’s all.”

Tilting her head in confusion, Jaehee asked them a question. “You do see the CFs Hanna does, right? At least 60% of them have little kids. Do you really think she would participate in them if she didn’t like them? Hanna always gets her way when it comes to what CFs she does. You should know that sunbae, you’re dating her.”

Seungri turned red in embarrassment. She did do a lot of CFs with kids. The others suddenly felt a bit stupid for not realizing this, excepting Taejoon, who had known this from a childhood of her following him around. They couldn’t even be mad at Jaehee because she wasn’t trying to be mean. Not to mention that it was rather obvious in hindsight. And then the comment to Seungri sank into their brains.

“You’re dating Hanna?!” They seriously had thought that he was still mooning over the celebrity and she was still giving him a hard time. Had he actually worn down the stubborn gymnast that had refused to look at anyone other than Taejoon?

From the way he began blushing harder and avoided their eyes while not answering them, the answer was a clearly a yes. With the way Taejoon was smiling in a relieved manner, it really was true. The implications were mind-breaking. Collectively deciding to stop thinking about it until their brains could handle that information, they went back to the idea of Hanna liking children.

“I always thought that she just did it to gain more popularity,” Hyunjae mused out loud. “But this makes more sense. I can just imagine how bad of a temper tantrum she would have if she was forced to work with kids and didn’t want to. They wouldn’t want to deal with that every time she did a CF.”

At that, the entire group shuddered, each imagining the scene. Trying to erase that scenario from his mind as soon as possible, Taejoon spoke up. “What are you going to do with Hyunji? Take her to an amusement park?”

“Maybe,” Jaehee responded. “We might if you guys have no event to participate in. If you do, we can watch and cheer you guys on and then go to a mall afterwards. You guys can come along if you want, but then Hanna will make you carry all our bags.”

They couldn’t shake their heads no fast enough. Hanna on her own was a nightmare when it came to shopping – they had all heard the stories from Taejoon about the horrors when she had dragged him along- but to have a little girl and another teenage girl to dress up? That was far beyond their worst fears and started to verge into phobia. Even Jongmin was terrified, and he was more of a shopping fanatic than Jaehee was.

“Speaking of Hanna and you and shopping, didn’t you guys do a clothing CF together? I didn’t realize you had become a model,” Eungyul changed the topic, wanting to distract Jaehee from the idea of all of them going shopping together.

Taejoon smacked his forehead. “I knew I had forgotten something,” he murmured to himself. Turning back to the others, he explained the situation. “Jaehee got scouted by my manager since she’s ranked pretty highly for women’s track for our age division. Apparently, she’s got a pretty face, so she’s a perfect option, and her down-to-earth personality endears her to the rest of the world. She and Hanna actually make a good pair in terms of comparisons for CFs, which is why they’re often paired together.”

The others stared blankly at a rather nonchalant Taejoon, and then in unison (in a rather creepy manner at that) turned their heads to stare at the furiously blushing Jaehee, and then back again. It was Jongmin who finally managed to bring himself to speak first.

“What,” he said. It wasn’t a question, it was a statement; a sign of just how done they were with everything that happened around Jaehee. They really shouldn’t have been surprised.

Seungri peered closely at Jaehee, giving her an onceover, and shook his head. “It suits you,” he offered. “I can see why she chose for you to become a model. You really are a good role model, if you disregard the whole cross-dressing scheme. Congratulations.”

Blushing even harder, Jaehee murmured her thanks, clearly showing her sincerity to the sunbae who had supported her so much during her time at Genie.

Hyunjae, wanting to break the rather solemn atmosphere, cut in with a joke. “I still find it funny, though, you lost at the Miss Genie High contest. It makes me laugh every time I think about it, especially since we all know the truth now.”

Jongmin laughed a bit derisively, still a little jealous of Jaehee. “Well of course she lost to me and my amazing abilities.”

“It was the clothes,” Jaehee said. “I know you picked them out sunbae, and they really were stunning,” She rushed to say, directing those words to the eldest of the group, smiling in relief when he nodded in understanding. “They just weren’t my style, and I wasn’t comfortable in them. I feel like that the voters could sense that, and it’s why I lost.”

Feeling a bit indignant, Seungri spoke. “Not to mention how late you were, you were almost all but disqualified. What exactly happened?”

Taejoon glared at nothing upon hearing his question. “That idiot she got into a fight with on the first day she got here stole all of her clothes while she was changing for the contest. I threatened him and got the clothes back to her, but it took too long, which delayed her arrival.”

The others stared in exasperation. “Does anything normal ever happen to you?” Hyunjae asked tiredly. “Things always happen better than expected or turn for the worse. Like your entry to the contest. You were ridiculously late, but your performance was amazing.”

Eungyul piped in at that moment, remembering one of the things that had mesmerized him when he saw her in the contest. “Were you really singing, Jaehee? If you were, you’re a really good one.”

All of them had to admit to that, even Jongmin. Taejoon, who had not attended the contest and had only heard about the results of the contest through Jaehee, was understandably confused. “You can sing? I didn’t know that,” he told her, inwardly sulking a bit at the idea that the others knew something he didn’t about his girlfriend.

Jaehee’s blush returned with a vengeance, although this time it was out of shyness and embarrassment. She mutely nodded her head, not wanting to speak.

Seungri, feeling a bit mischievous, decided abruptly, “We’re all going to karaoke and listen to Jaehee sing the first song.” Grabbing her by the wrist to prevent her escape, he led the way back to their dorms. The rest of the boys could do nothing but follow.

Bringing a girl back to the dorms was against the rules of course, but Hanna had managed to get her way a while ago. And Jaehee had lived there with them for a few months. It would do no harm to have her there for a few hours. She was one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was Part One. Part Two is complete and is under revision, but will be posted on Thanksgiving. For those who don’t understand, sunbae is the Korean equivalent of senpai/sempai. I hope you enjoy, and once again, please do let me know what you think.


	8. Outtake Two: Reunion - Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The continuation of their meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving! This is part two of the reunion outtake. Enjoy your holiday!

They were back in the karaoke room where Jaehee had begun to realize her feelings for Taejoon. Memories of her jealousy and insecurity towards Hanna flickered through the girl’s mind, as Seungri shoved a microphone into her hand.  For a second, she couldn’t help but drown in her memories, and a look of devastating heartbreak flitted across her face, only to vanish in the next instant. Taejoon was the only one to notice her expression, and being so attuned to her, he knew what was hurting her. As the first song began to play, he couldn’t help but to wince. This was not going to help.

The upbeat tune floated through the air, and after freezing for a second, she pulled herself together in order to hit the first note. Pushing back the memories threatening to swallow her and force her back into her doubting self, she sang, hoping that she could get through the song without stumbling. The sweet voice echoed through the room, causing the others to remember the act she had put on for the Miss Genie High contest. Pausing for the other’s part, she waited, not expecting anyone to pick up where she left off.

“ _jeongmal useumman nawa,_ ” The light tenor echoed throughout the room, startling all its occupants. All of them had been there for the previous karaoke session, and all of them remembered Taejoon’s silent refusal to be dragged into Hanna’s attempt. It was a surprise that he would be willing to sing this time. They all knew that he absolutely hated singing.

The athlete on the other hand was just counting down the minutes until the song was over. He hated singing, and this song was slightly straining his vocals. But she was about to cry, and after all that they had worked through, he couldn’t help but to comfort her. Whoever had this song popping up (and he had his suspicions) was a jerk, and he would deal with them later. For now, it was force his way through this song, and deal with the upcoming teasing.

Shocked at his input, Jaehee stared uncomprehendingly at her partner. And in response, he offered her a reassuring smile, as if to remind her that he was always there for her, no matter how much he hated what he was putting himself through, the karaoke being a good example. Recovering herself, just in time, she went on with the song, deciding not to question anything until far later. For now, she would just bask in the happiness that he wasn’t letting her make a fool of herself in front of their friends.

Sweeping into the chorus, she smiled, grateful that the high jumper was actually putting effort into singing the song with her. She knew that the song was just barely within his range, and even though she was not the one who chose the song, she couldn’t help but be happy that he was willing to suffer minor discomfort (and perhaps embarrassment from the others) in order to make her happy.

And at last, the song came to a resounding finish, much to the apparent relief of Taejoon. Seungri, noticing the look and wanting to torment the poor teen a bit more, made a quick decision. “And after such an excellent performance, we have to ask for an encore. So here’s your next duet!”

Any attempts at protests were quickly stifled under the looks of sheer anticipation from the other teens, to the point where Taejoon realized that he would basically be tormented by the others if he didn’t give in. “Fine, but this is the absolute last, or I’ll make you guys regret it.” And then he glanced at the song title and blanched. Reluctantly, he turned to look at Jaehee’s face, dreading what he would find and yet somehow expecting it anyways. _I have no willpower when it comes to her, do I?_ he thought to himself in exasperation. A simple nod led to the sole female in the room all but floating in glee and started rearranging the stage to set it up, before the song even began. _They’re definitely going to get a show this time. I’ll never live this down._

The beginning sounded, with the two teens moving into position. The second they started moving, the others, who had been watching their actions in confusion realized instantly what was to happen and eagerly awaited what promised to be even more of a performance than the previous song. One thing was for certain though, and that was that Jaehee had the teenage celebrity whipped. Then again, it was really hard to say no to Jaehee, and they were just her friends.

 _“Hello…”_ The song played, the steady beat directing the two as they danced. One of Jaehee and Hanna’s favorites, the two had connived Taejoon into learning the dance along with them. And as the song had just so happened to pop up and Jaehee pleaded wordlessly for him to join in, he couldn’t say no. He was starting to sense a conspiracy. Jaehee clearly wasn’t involved, or she would be looking noticeably guilty. The suspects were just taking advantage of Jaehee’s presence in order to force him into things he would have never done otherwise.

“ _nan geureoke joheun sarami anya…”_ The room was silent, the only sounds being Jaehee’s lilting soprano and Taejoon’s complimentary tenor accompanied by the music. The others were too entranced by the captivating performance to make a sound. Such a seductive dance was not what they expected from Gu Jaehee, who happened to be what they considered the very personification of innocence and naivety. They were also expecting Taejoon to make a fool of himself dancing along with the song, but as with all things, he was stubborn enough to get the dance down to the last movement. The two made a perfect pair performing. Honestly the two could probably become Kpop stars and not have any difficulty fitting in. They already had the fame and looks down. And they quite clearly sang and danced well together.

And then the rap came along, and the others were blown away by just how easily he sank into the flow of the rap. Seemingly far more comfortable rapping than hitting those high notes, it was a stunning change once he went back to the higher melody. And despite it all, he continued to dance along to the song.

Drawing to a close with Jaehee’s final line, the room remained silent as the last few beats of the song played out. A sudden hush encompassed the room, only to be broken by a simultaneous standing ovation. Suddenly crowded by their friends, the two were overwhelmed with questions, until their sunbae came to the rescue.

“All right, enough crowding the two. You can ask them questions later, but in case you’ve forgotten, we have only one more hour before curfew, so who’s up next?”

And so the rest of the night went on with performances from the others, who were also rather good, but somewhat paled in comparison to the duo that performed first. Taejoon and Jaehee passed on all offers to perform after that, preferring to watch the others. Finally sitting down and glad to be out of the spotlight, they didn’t seem to notice their hands intertwined together. The other boys resisted the urge to tease them, knowing they had tormented the pair far too much that evening. Any more would lead to rather unforgettable vengeance on part from Taejoon. There would be other opportunities for that another day.

And finally, the clock struck eleven, and Seungri stood up, knowing that he had to be the responsible one. “All right guys, it’s time to wrap up. Lights out is in an hour, and they’re going to be checking up on us then.”

Taejoon rose and helped Jaehee up. “I’ll take you home. It shouldn’t take too long.”

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “I’m perfectly capable of going home by myself. It’s not that far anyways. You’ll miss curfew if you do.”

“Yes, I know you’re capable, but you’re looking especially pretty tonight and it’s rather late. You’re a danger magnet, so it’s especially likely that something will happen. Besides, I promised your parents I would watch out for you. And I don’t mind staying home overnight; it’s not like we have school tomorrow.”

Ignoring the blush highlighting her cheeks, she frowned at the teen in displeasure. Compliments or not, he was still insulting her. The others just watched in a mixture of concern (the trouble magnet part was quite true after all) and amusement. Hyunjae finally got fed up with the arguing and cut in, speaking in an exasperated manner. “The solution is simple. Jaehee borrows some of our clothes and a hat. She can pretend to be a pretty guy again on the bus home. And if you’re still worried, just stay on the phone with her until she gets home. Taejoon, you can’t go with her, we have a joint morning practice tomorrow with another school that you can’t miss, or Coach will have your head.”

Everyone frowned at that solution, no one fully happy with it. Things could still go wrong, and they really wanted someone to watch over Jaehee. But it was the best out of all the options, and so they would accept it, although none of them would be comfortable going to sleep until they saw that the girl was safe at home. Because despite the secrets, and the new distance formed by the revelation of her gender, they all did care for her, much like a little sister. If they had more time before curfew, they would have made sure to actually take her home themselves, but unfortunately, if they wanted their weekends free to visit her (and anyone else they liked –like Hanna and Dahae), they had to be present for curfew.

The girl sighed in displeasure, resigned to the solution they found. She would rather make her way by herself, but she knew well that they had to get their way somehow. And secretly, although she would never admit out loud, she knew very well that the comments about her being a trouble magnet were very true indeed. Sighing once again, she turned to Taejoon. “Fine. Taejoon-ah, I still have some clothes in the closet from when we shared the dorm. Can you bring those? All of them actually, it’s all one outfit so I’ll need all the pieces.”

Nodding, he rushed off, noticing the time inching closer towards curfew. Back within minutes, he passed the clothes to his girlfriend letting her rush off to the bathroom to change. She returned quite quickly, all makeup wiped off and hair hidden under a hat. The boys stared at her in a stunned manner. With the baggy shorts and the layered shorts, for a second, it was almost like the boy they thought Jaehee was pretending to be had come back. Jaehee’s words snapped them out of it.

“Thanks for remembering the sneakers, this wouldn’t had worked out if I was still wearing the heels. And now the bus is going to be here in ten minutes. I should get going”

“I’ll at least walk you to the bus stop and wait until you get on. You can set up the phone call on the way.”

Smiling slightly, the girl gave in. She would prefer to make her goodbyes to her boyfriend in private, and this would give them the opportunity to do so. Turning to the other boys, she started hugging them goodbye, ignoring Jongmin’s protests. “I’ll see you all again, and soon. This time, we’ll make plans for a group outing, like the summer trip to sunbae’s mom’s inn.”

With those words, the celebrity couple walked off, ready to spend at least a little time with each other before they had to part ways. The others just looked at the two fading into the darkness, remembering their duets earlier this evening.

“You know,” Hyunjae said in a conversational tone. “I’m beginning to think those two were literally made for each other.”

No one present could find any reason to refute that.

:::

“So,” Taejoon teased. “Was it as bad as you thought it would be?”

“They didn’t hate me. For so long, I thought that I would never be able to speak to them again because they wouldn’t accept that I led to them. But they didn’t. I know that you helped them reach that, so thank you.”

“It didn’t take much effort, you know. All they had to change was to think about you as a girl, but that was it. You’re still just as sweet and caring, maybe even more so now that you’re no longer restraining yourself to avoid being found out.”

“But still, thank you. For everything you’ve done to support me, like today.” She didn’t bother to specify, knowing he would understand what she was trying to say.

“Anything for you,” he told her, his words a solemn vow. One that he would always keep.

Jaehee grew solemn, knowing he meant to keep the promise, and wondering once again how she had managed to gain such loving devotion from the one person she had idolized for so long.

Having arrived at the bus stop, she leaned against the pole of the street light only to suddenly stand straight. “Here’s the bus,” She said. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Manager Jang did arrange for us to do a photo-shoot together next week, so even if this weekend is busy, we’ll see each other then. Don’t forget to call sunbae, once you get on the bus, ok?”

Nodding, she reached up, just enough to give a quick kiss to her boyfriend. She then raced onto the bus, finding a seat near the front. Waving goodbye at a semi-stunned Taejoon (she was never this bold when it came to public affection), she set up her phone, calling Seungri sunbae’s cell phone immediately.

“Hey guys,” She said, smiling slightly. They had obviously put her on speakerphone, judging from the collective calling of her name the second they picked up. “I just got on the bus and Taejoon’s heading back over to the dorm. Now, let’s talk about whether or not you guys are coming shopping with Hanna and me next week when the two of us go take Hyunji out…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this went well. The songs introduced in this chapter are IU’s Nagging with 2AM’s Seulong and Jooyoung’s Erase with SISTAR’s Hyorin and featuring Iron. I hope you enjoyed it, and as always, do let me know what you think.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This story is meant to be a short one; most likely no more than three or four chapters. Please review and let me know what you think!


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